Entangled

Less than a month now until I leave. My emotions are just as mixed as about one year ago when I was preparing to come to the Czech Republic. As my title indicates, I've become entangled over here, and it's getting more difficult to believe that I'm leaving soon.

Last night, the sextas (the third years here) threw me a going away party. It was so nice, and lots of people showed up to have some fun. There was drinking, laughing, dancing, and so much more. Where do I start? Oh, at the beginning:

• 8am: I arrive to school and Pavla and Irma (the organizers of this particular party) are standing in front of the office with shit-eating grins on their faces. "What's so funny?" I say, and they reply "Oh, nothing. We have a gift for you!" And they hand me a bag with lasagna in it. Irma actually cooked me lasagna! And let me tell you, it was terrific!! Mom, I hate to say it, but it's as good as yours! I told Irma that she has to come back to Canada with me. She's thinking about it ;)
• 8am-1pm: I teach two lessons, and that's it. My teaching is over here now.
• 1pm-6pm: I go home and have a long nap, because I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be a long night, plus I have to work Saturday at 8am. I have no regrets about taking this nap.
• 6pm-7pm: Eat the lasagna. It took me 15 minutes to eat the lasagna and 45 minutes to recover from the shock of how good it was.
• 7:30pm: Meet Mike in the Old Town for a quick beer before I run off to the party in my honour.
• 8pm: Meet Irma, Pavla, Nari, Martina, and Eva in front of Elegance. Enter Elegance, begin the party.
• 8pm-9pm: People arriving continuously, and there is a lot of commotion on the stairs. Apparently everyone is "taking photos" of each other.
• 9pm: At approximately 9pm, everybody gathers around the table where I am and make a presentation. The students have bought me a gift. They present me with an authentic Jaromir Jagr Czech national hockey team jersey. The jersey has been autographed by all of the students who were at the party, and other playful slogans such as "Come back" and "Czechs are always better than Canada, never forget it" are tatooed on the back of the jersey. I almost cry, but I'm a tough guy and I can't show weakness.
• 9pm?-1am?: There is general fun being had in Elegance. The music is weak, so Daniela and Eliska take it upon themselves to request "better" music. The better music begins, and everyone takes the dancefloor. Everybody comes up to me and asks me to autograph their arms (or stomachs, Nari!)....I am now a superstar. At one point, some of the guys come and inform me that there is a foosball table next door, so I inform them that I must humiliate them. A bunch of us go over and we make teams and Nikola (my future wife) and I proceed to take them to school on the table. Except for the last team of Petr and Martin, who were pretty good. We make a good team Niky!
• 1am?: At about 1am, some people start filtering out and going home, so the remaining troopers decide they will go to Podvobraz, which is sort of the popular dance club right now.
• 1am-3am: General dancing and goofing around in Podvobraz, which is hotter than hell in this weather. People continue to filter out and go home. Niky, Leni, and I are the last soldiers standing at about 3am. I tell them that I absolutely have to go home (for the 3rd or 4th time), and this time I mean it because I have to get up at 6am on Saturday (today now) to go to work.

And that was that. It was terrific. And this is why it's getting more and more difficult to realize that I'm leaving. Don't get me wrong family and Canada friends, I love you and I'm really excited to see you again and reintegrate back into my life there, but I've fallen in love over here. For anybody who has misgivings about the Czech Republic, it's a great country, with the friendliest and greatest people I've met. This will not be the last time I see this place. I will be back (to pick up Niky and bring her back to Canada :P)

Umm, I'm having trouble posting photos from my laptop, so I can't put any up today. Go to Lenka's blog to see some photos from the action. Also, I'll try to put some others up from my camera next week from the school computer (might give me more luck).

Till next post...